People are constantly looking for the next great treatment option to minimize the appearance of scars. One of the latest popular treatment methods is emu oil, an old remedy used to treat a myriad of skin ailments by the indigenous population in Australia. Because it is a natural remedy, many people have tried to use it to help fade their scarring, with mixed results.

What is Emu Oil?

Emu oil is oil that comes from the fat in the back of the emu, an Australian bird related to the ostrich. The Aboriginal population and others have used it to cure a variety of skin ailments, including adding moisture, killing bacteria, treating rashes, helping reduce pain, and reducing inflammation. Many studies have found that it can help treat some skin ailments, and can even help reduce joint and muscle pain when applied topically. It also is rich in the omega fatty acids that have been shown to be essential for healthy looking skin. One of the reasons it seems to work so well on the skin is that it has the ability to penetrate the skin, reaching the deeper layers of the skin for treatment.

The Benefits of Emu Oil

Emu oil has a variety of benefits to the skin, including treating dry skin, eczema, rashes, cuts, burns, and other problems on the skin. It can also be a beneficial first aid treatment to reduce the risk of infection while promoting healing. Not only is it all-natural, but it is also hypo-allergenic, non-toxic, non-comedogenic, and does not irritate, making it easy to use anywhere on the body, including sensitive areas. Because of these benefits, many people have started calling it a cure-all for all skin conditions, including scarring.

Does it Help Scarring?

Although emu oil can be beneficial for your skin in treating inflammation and keeping the scar moisturized, it does not fade scars. It works as an anti-inflammatory agent, which can help expedite the skin’s natural healing process. When the skin is first damaged, it will become inflamed as part of the natural immune response. This can cause the skin to appear red or discolored. Emu oil can help reduce the coloring of scars during this stage of healing only because it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent to combat the redness. However, this does not work to get rid of the scar tissue or lighten the skin color to fade the scar. If you are looking for an all-natural ingredient that will actually fade scars, then you should look for something with licorice root extract.

Emu oil is all-natural oil with relatively low risks of irritation or other problems that provides some healing benefits to your skin. However, it is not the best option for treating scars. The best scar treatment cream will have ingredients that work together to help the skin heal while fading the scar, including lightening the pigment, producing healthy skin cells, increasing collagen production, and reducing any inflammation in the wound. Ingredients such as licorice root extract, silicone, and vitamin C have these properties and in tandem work to significantly reduce the appearance of your scar tissue.

Do you have a question about your scar? Leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer.

As you age, certain changes to your skin are almost inevitable, such as wrinkles and age spots. Although you cannot completely avoid the natural aging process, there are certain actions you can take to prevent and mitigate the problem. By recognizing what causes age spots, you can reduce your risk and find the right product to reduce the appearance of dark spots on your skin.

What are Age Spots?

Age spots are small to medium brown spots that appear on the skin, primarily the face and hands, as you age. They are often referred to as liver spots. They are caused by UV damage to the melanin production of the skin cells, which causes certain skin cells to appear darker than others. Age spots can range in size between miniscule to more than a 1/2 an inch, and will appear as tan, brown or black in color. They can also group together, which creates a more significant appearance. They are typically harmless and benign, making them mostly a cosmetic problem. However, if an age spot grows or changes rapidly, then you should get it checked out by a dermatologist to ensure it is not cancerous.

Age spots develop due to excess UV exposure, either from the sun or tanning beds. They appear in the areas that have been most exposed to the sun, including the face, hands, and shoulders. Melanin is the pigment in skin cells that provides it with its color. UV light accelerates the production of melanin, which is what leads to tanning. However, the UV rays also damage the skin cells. Over time, this damage alters the production of melanin in the skin cell, causing high concentration of melanin in a particular area, which creates the age spots. Age spots are more common in those with pale skin, but those with a darker skin pigment can also develop age spots, as well.

How to Treat Age Spots?

The best way to treat age spots is prevention, which includes wearing sunscreen whenever you are in the sun, avoiding tanning beds and other excess exposure to UV rays. If you already have developed age spots, then you can treat them with a skin lightening cream. When choosing skin lightening creams, avoid dangerous and potentially toxic ingredients such as kojic acid and hydroquinone. Instead, choose all natural ingredients, such as licorice root extract and vitamin C, which will not only lighten the skin, but also keep it healthy. If the age spots do not respond to treatment, then you can discuss more invasive procedures, such as laser therapy or dermabrasion, with your doctor.

You can take precautions when you are young to avoid getting age spots as you age. Once you do begin to develop some unsightly age spots, you can start treatment to reduce their appearance. Just remember that it takes time for the skin to heal and return to normal once you have begun treatment.

Have a question about your scar or dark spot? Leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer!

Razor burn and ingrown hairs are unsightly side effects of shaving, but they typically require a simple treatment and disappear after a few days. However, when you have dark spots that form due to razor bumps and ingrown hair, it requires more work to make your skin look flawless. By following these simple tips, you can fade the dark spots that form.

What Causes Dark Spots to Form?

When you shave, especially if you do not use shaving cream or shave with a dull razor, it can lead to razor bumps and ingrown hair. The two main causes are uneven pressure or bacteria entering the pores. When shaving, hair may become trapped under the skin or regrow into the skin, which makes it an ingrown hair. This causes bumps to form, and you may experience swelling, and pain. If the bacteria get into the pores, it leads to infection, similar to some forms of acne. Initially, your skin will turn red, and you might even have some puss forming if it becomes infected. As the skin heals, the area can scar and turn darker, leading to a dark spot. This occurs due to the damage to the cells that produce melanin or the skin pigment.

Prevention is Key

One of the best ways to treat dark spots is to prevent them from forming. Therefore, you should always shave with some cream or gel and use a sharp blade. This reduces the risk of developing ingrown hair and razor bumps. When you do have an ingrown hair, then treat it carefully and do not shave again until it has healed. Treat the area with an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial cream to help the skin to heal and prevent any further damage.

Treat the Dark Spots

Once you have dark spots, they will typically disappear after several months, but you can expedite the skin’s healing process by using a skin lightening cream. However, you want to ensure to use ingredients that will help the skin, not further harm it. Some common ingredients in skin lightening creams include kojic acid and hydroquinone. However, you do not want to use these, as they have dangerous side effects. Instead, you should aim for natural and healthy ingredients that will lighten the skin without harming your body, such as licorice root extract. Vitamin C is another ingredient that will help, not harm, your skin. It is an antioxidant that reverses the cellular damage caused to the skin, including the damage to the cells that produce melanin. In addition to fading scars and dark spots, it also promotes your skin’s natural healing process, including producing collagen.

You can remove the dark spots from razor burn and ingrown hair, but it starts by ensuring you shave properly. You also want to take care of any damage to the skin right away.

Do you have a question about your scar or dark spot? Leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer.

The hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy and after the birth of your child can create changes in your skin that sometimes lead to unsightly problems. You can find yourself facing the acne you thought you left behind in your teen years, acne scars, hyperpigmentation, dry skin, stretch marks, and other problems. If you had a cesarean, then you will also be left with a scar. Luckily, there are some natural, healthy, and easy solutions to help your postpartum skin look great and that can help reduce the appearance of any scars.

C-Section Scars

If you have a cesarean, c-section scar prevention begins with treating the wound. You should follow any instructions from your doctor, but generally you want to keep the incision covered so it will remain moist, which helps it to heal with less chance of a scar. Once the incision has healed, then you can apply a scar treatment cream. You want one with natural and safe ingredients, such as dimethicone silicone, vitamin C and licorice root extract. These ingredients have been found to promote the body’s healing and fade scars over time.

Acne and Acne Scars

The excess estrogen in your system during pregnancy often led to glowing, beautiful skin. Now, the hormonal imbalance mixed with stress, lack of sleep, and no time for your normal skin care regime might have left you with acne, which may lead to unsightly scars. The first action you need to take is to treat the acne. Make sure to clean your skin, use oil-free ingredients, and use a topical cream or gel that fights acne. If you have scars, you can treat them with a scar treatment cream that will help to even out the skin and lighten the scars. You can also talk to your doctor about treatment for acne scars, including dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, laser surgery, or acne scar surgery.

Hyperpigmentation

Many women find themselves with dark patches of skin on the forehead, upper lip, and cheeks, known as chloasma or melasma. They develop due to an increase of melanin production that occurred during pregnancy. Your body will most likely find its balance once again, no longer producing as much melanin, and those dark patches will fade. Until then, you can help by staying out of the sun and wearing sunscreen. You can also use a skin lightening cream, but you want to stay away from certain ingredients, namely kojic acid and hydroquinone. These can have dangerous side effects, including hormonal imbalance, toxicity, and carcinogenic effects. Licorice root extract is a natural ingredient that has been shown to safely lighten skin.

In addition to using special creams to help your skin find its balance after pregnancy, you should also pay attention to your overall health. Be sure to eat healthy and get as much sleep as your new baby allows. This promotes your body’s healing process and can help heal any skin problems.

When you have an accident or undergo a surgery, you will be left with a wound to your skin. In order to prevent the wound from causing a larger scar, you need to properly handle how you initially care for it. During the healing stage of the wound, you should keep the area moist by applying an anti-bacterial cream like Neosporin and keep a bandage on the wound to promote the healing of the skin. For the best results, you’ll want to ensure to bandage the wound properly by adhering to the following steps.

Clean The Wound

Before you put on a bandage, you always want to have a clean wound, especially when you initially get hurt. You will want to wait for any bleeding to stop by pressing a clean cloth or piece of gauze to the wound. Then, you should gently clean it with water, although you can also use a saline solution. You want to make sure there is no debris left in the wound. It is OK to use hydrogen peroxide once when cleaning out the wound, but don’t use it again as it will kill the good skin cells along with the bacteria.

Keep The Wound Moist

Before you apply any type of bandage, you should put an anti-bacterial cream on new wounds. This keeps the wound moist, which enhances the natural healing of the wound. It also prevents the bandage from sticking to the wound, which could end up causing more injury when you remove it.

Dress The Wound

You want to use only clean and sterile dressing and bandages. For small wounds, you can use band-aids, but larger wounds may require a larger bandage. If you are making your own bandage, you start with clean gauze or dressing. You cut a piece that covers an area slightly larger than the wound and fold it in half. Then, use medical tape on all four sides of the dressing to keep it securely in place. You want to use medical tape because it will be easier to remove from your skin, while also providing a strong adhesion.

Apply the Bandage

Once the wound is dressed, it is time to apply the bandage around it. This provides extra protection, especially for wounds that are deep and serious or on areas of the body that are difficult to bandage, such as elbows, shoulders, or knees. You can use a cloth strip or ace bandage to cover the area. If you are bandaging a joint area, such as the elbow or knees, you’ll want to cover the area above and below the joint as well to keep it in place. Cover the dressing completely, wrapping the bandage around the area of the body. However, do not wrap the bandage too tightly. Once you have covered the wound, you should secure the bandage using metal clips, safety pins or tape.

You should redress a wound at least once a day. If the dressing becomes wet or dirty, you should always put on a fresh bandage. If you notice the wound is not healing well or it looks infected, be sure to see a doctor. Once the wound has healed, then you can concentrate on reducing the appearance of the scar, including using InviCible Scars.

Have a question about your scar? Leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer!